Counting starts in Russian election

Counting has started in the country's east, while voters in other parts of Russia are still voting in the parliamentary election. Polls close in Moscow and St. Petersburg shortly and in Kalingrad within 2 hours. Around 55 percent of eligible Russians had reportedly voted in the parliamentary election by 5 pm Moscow time.

Compared to 2003, nearly twice as many Russians have voted.

"My entire family came to vote. We think it's crucial, because we choose our future both for ourselves and for our children. If we don't come, who will?" one of the voters said.

"It's crucial retired people get higher pensions and free medical aid. Also, miners and factory workers should have higher salaries as their job is difficult and dangerous," another voter added.

The Central Election Commission (CEC) officials claim the turnout across Russia is high.

"Currently we can almost certainly say that the number of Russian citizens voting this year is higher than during the 2003 election," Vladimir Churov, CEC chairman, said.

President Putin has cast his vote together with his wife Ludmila. The President was quick to vote, while Ludmila Putina took her time. It seemed she really thought a lot about who to vote for.

In the meantime, the first President of the Soviet Union Mikhail Gorbachev, who voted in central Moscow, said he hoped the election would be successful.

Andrey Lugovoy, who is charged in the UK for the murder of former KGB officer Aleksandr Litvinenko, appeared at a polling station with his son. Lugovoy said he is confident that the Liberal Democratic Party, which he joined in September, will enter Russia's State Duma.

The leader of the Communist Party, Gennady Zuganov, has said that his party's observers have reported a number of violations.

Some minor voting infringements have also been reported in Vladivostok in the Far East, but officials say they were dealt with swiftly.

Meanwhile, one of the opposition leaders, former World chess Champion Garry Kasparov has also voted. Speaking with mostly foreign reporters, Kasparov said that his Other Russia movement had noted numerous examples of fraud.

Andrey Przhezdonsky, a Public Chamber member in charge of electoral rights, has confirmed that some complaints about ballot violations have been received.

"Regarding particular violations, quiz games were organised at some of the stations in the city of Chelyabinsk. In the republic of Bashkortostan, voters complained that observers were not let in, and there were cases where three or four people entered the booth at a time," Mr Przhezdonsky said before adding: "When we received the complaints we immediately informed the central election committee. So we did our best to react as effectively as we could."

However, a representative from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) observers delegation, Luc Van den Brande, said that so far they are satisfied with the technical procedures of the election and for now they have not registered any technical violations.

According to the CEC the number of observers is unprecedented, both from abroad and from local political parties, which have sent three million representatives to monitor the election.

There are about 400 international observers from different organisations including PACE, OSCE, the Shanghai Co-Operation Organisation and others.

The first exit polls are not to be made public until 9.00 PM Moscow time when the voting process is complete throughout the whole country.

The CEC say if they manage to work fast enough the results can be expected as soon as next Saturday, December 8. So it's possible that the new State Duma will gather and start its work before the New Year. According to the Constitution the CEC has no more than 30 days after the election day to finalise the results.

As for Moscow, voting is gathering speed. But Muscovites traditionally come to polling stations later in the afternoon or in the evening.

For the first time, polling stations have opened in Moscow's airports and railway stations, so people passing through or leaving Moscow will be able to vote. Three airports and seven railway stations are taking part.

Officials say the stations have satisfied all requirements for places for observers, security and press. ( RT )